How To Calm Betta?

[schmee]

i introduced my male betta a week ago and i thought i needn't have worried. He swam around with the other fish/inhabitants as placid as can be. Then he suddenly changed over night. After a week of being fine, he has started flaring at his reflection in the glass all the time, then started to attack it, bumping his head against the glass. Now he has started being agressive to his tankmates. i'm not worried about them in that i know they are too quick and too big for him, and the frogs can certainly hold their own, but i don't want everybody stressed. It was all so calm just a day ago. Is this just a phase? Why would he be fine and suddenly become such a grump? i'm uncomfortable taking him out as he'd have to be without a heater but what should/can i do?? He went in last to prevent this from happening but it's like he's over night decided this is HIS tank. Help??

 

[BigIan]

basicly its because over night he has decided its his tank, for the first week he felt he was in some one elses territory now hes staking his claim.
These fish are aggressive naturally, but the human bread species are more so, personally i wouldn never keep a male betta in with anything other than shrimp and snails. even then i`ve seen them attack shrimp. \the are called siamese fighting fish after all.
Get him his own little tank and he`ll be very happy.

 

[loraxchick]

put some backing on the tank to calm his aggression toward his reflection. if he thinks hes the only betta in town, he may just calm down and leave his buddies alone.
for the record, ive never had an aggressive betta and theyve all shared tanks with other fish, snails and shrimp. sure ive seen them give the occasional chase or flare at their tankmates, but never had nipping or real harassment.
before going out and finding a new tank for him, try the backing and see how it goes.
cheers

 

[schmee]

There is already a black backdrop on the tank. But he can see his reflection in the other sides, it's just glass, just the way it is. i've had the light off all day and he seemed to be calmer this evening but who knows. i'm prepared to take him out and set up a new tank just for him, but i'm going to see how it goes. Am i playing with fire?

 

[keithp]

My bettas love hunting live blackworms, or chasing falling prey, like frozen bloodworms. But the blackworms will keep him busy looking for them on the bottom, so mabye he will ignore your other fish? They will all be too busy eating.

 

[loraxchick]

hey not put some backing on the sides too then? and keep just the front glass clear? just an idea
cheers

 

[zophie]

I reccomend taking him out. I have had aggresive bettas with tank-mates, but I think you should just be on the safe side. Like lorachick said, you could always put backing on the sides too, if you can't afford, or don't have space for another tank. May I ask what the other tankmates our, and how big is your tank? If your tanks is pretty big (like 10 gallons) then you don't have to worry as much. But if your tanks is fairly small (5 gallons) then you want to move him- aggresion problems are severe in small tanks, but not so much in bigger tanks.

Zophie

 

[loraxchick]

aggression has zero to do with tank size...just to point out.
cheers

 

[schmee]

Perhaps not, loraxchick, but i have to agree with Zophie, that you're going to have more probs with a betta's agression in a smaller tank or a tank with no plants/places to hide. i wouldn't call my tank big at all, in fact i'd call it very small, but it is 10g (34l) so 'big' in what you were saying. He's really calmed down a lot and although he's still flaring at himself quite often, he's given up on harrassing the rest.

However, i have decided that both he and his friends would be happier if he had his own tank, so in a few weeks, depending on cycling time, he will be moving. The corys were braver before he started being agressive and i'd like them to stay that way. i do love them. Besides, the tank has a new internal filter which betta is not loving, i have to turn it right down to stop him being swept across the tank so i think he's appreciate a nice calm filter and calm environment with lots of plants and perhaps backing on three sides. (Although i was watching earlier and he can see himself in the backing anyway. Is this usually the case??)

 

[zophie]

Perhaps not, loraxchick, but i have to agree with Zophie, that you're going to have more probs with a betta's agression in a smaller tank or a tank with no plants/places to hide. i wouldn't call my tank big at all, in fact i'd call it very small, but it is 10g (34l) so 'big' in what you were saying. He's really calmed down a lot and although he's still flaring at himself quite often, he's given up on harrassing the rest.

However, i have decided that both he and his friends would be happier if he had his own tank, so in a few weeks, depending on cycling time, he will be moving. The corys were braver before he started being agressive and i'd like them to stay that way. i do love them. Besides, the tank has a new internal filter which betta is not loving, i have to turn it right down to stop him being swept across the tank so i think he's appreciate a nice calm filter and calm environment with lots of plants and perhaps backing on three sides. (Although i was watching earlier and he can see himself in the backing anyway. Is this usually the case??)

Good choice- I think it's always good to be on the safe side, in a case where you arn't sure

Zophie